Rumour Has It
by MissLiquidLuck
Summary: There have been some nasty rumours circulating about Regulus... Written for the Regulus Black Competition.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter… unfortunately.**

**AN: Let me just say that I totally love Slytherins. All of them… **_**except **_**for Goyle and Crabbe. No offense to all you Goyle and Crabbe lovers. This was written for the Regulus Black Competition. Enjoy and review!**

Rumour Has It

"Rumour has it you've joined the Dark Lord's forces."

Regulus stiffened and slowly turned to face the owner of the nasally voice he loathed. Renee Parkinson sat directly across from him, a greedy, obnoxious sort of glint in her eyes.

"Well, only fools believe rumours." He said icily, making sure that Renee didn't miss the full impact of his words. Without sparing her another glance, he stood up from the Slytherin Table and made his way out of the Great Hall. His calm composure lasted until he neared the Slytherin Common Room, it was then when he let his panic and worry show.

_How in Merlin had she found out? _

He ducked into a nearby bathroom, entered a stall and shut the door behind him. He rolled the sleeves of his robes up in a frenzied manner that was unlike him and stared at the Dark Mark, marring his usually pale, perfect skin. He shivered as he ran his fingers along it lightly. He remembered when he'd gotten the mark and shuddered a bit, it hadn't been a pleasant experience, not at all…

He took a deep breath and leaned his forehead against the door of the stall. All was quiet. He thought back to the matter at hand- Renee was no doubt well connected but it was still a mystery to him as to how she'd found out. If she blabbed, he could get into a _lot _of trouble, and not just with Dumbledore… with _Him _as well.

He winced as he thought how his Master might punish him if word were to get out that he was a Death Eater. It was unusual for the Master to ask his servants to hide their loyalties, but Regulus was a special case. It was good to have eyes and ears inside Hogwarts, the possible breeding ground for _many _more Death Eaters, he didn't need his little spy getting kicked out.

He took another deep breath and scoffed at Renee's naiveté and her general stupidity. Regulus hadn't just 'joined the Dark Lord's forces'! He wasn't a bloody troll who could just waltz up and join the Dark Lord's 'forces'! _No, _Regulus was part of the elite, _important _group of Death Eaters. In fact, Regulus had an inkling that quite soon he would cease to be just another supremacist, power hungry pureblood in the crowd, soon enough he'd be able to call himself one of the Dark Lord's most trusted and loyal followers.

Yes, soon enough he'd be a force to be reckoned with. And as soon as he had a position of power, he was going to make sure that Renee Parkinson didn't speak again.

And neither did that disgusting little thing called rumour.

Yes, rumour had mocked him quite enough in the past few years.

Rumour has it that your brother is in Gryffindor.

_It was humiliating. _

Rumour has it that your brother's been hanging out with blood traitors.

_It was like a slap to the face._

Rumour has it that your brother's been dating Mudbloods.

_It was like two slaps to the face._

Rumour has it, your brother ran away from home.

_Regulus had wanted to die._

But possibly the worst thing about these rumours were that they _weren't _rumours at all. They were true. And it wasn't any different this time.

1979

"Master Regulus, _you must not!" _

Regulus stiffened and turned to face the owner of the croaky voice he'd heard all of his childhood, the voice that had helped raise him. Kreacher looked at him pleadingly, his blood shot eyes were red rimmed and unshed tears began to pool in his eyes.

"I can't Kreacher, I _have _to do this." He raised a small knife to his hand but before he could make a cut Kreacher made a loud squawking noise.

"But _Sir, _you are one of the Dark Lord's most loyal servants-"

Regulus cut him off with a laugh. It was more like a hollow cough and it echoed off the walls of the cave. Maybe he was going mad; after all, he was going_ directly _against his life's ambition all for a _house elf. _But somewhere deep inside of him, he knew that it was the right thing to do.

So Regulus laughed a little more.

He remembered that day that seemed so long ago when Renee Parkinson had very generously informed him that there was a rumour circulating that he had joined the forces. He had to stifle a roar of laughter as he recalled his enraged thoughts at being labelled lowly enough to join the Dark Lords 'forces'. He almost giggled as he reminisced over his big dreams of having a position of power and just how badly he wanted to be a Death Eater.

How grand he'd thought all of it was.

Maybe in the back of his head, where the small child in him still existed, he'd hoped that they'd just walk right over the Muggleborns and then it'd be over.

Like everything would be fine.

Like he'd be able to watch from a distance as the Muggleborns gladly surrendered to the Dark Lord and lined up to be executed.

How foolish he'd been.

And his folly had been taken advantage of. Never had he imagined that _his _loved ones would be hurt. Never had he imagined that _both _sides would be affected by one man. Never had he imagined that he would be suffering right alongside the Muggleborns.

He made the cut in his palm, his resolve hardened.

"Oh Kreacher," he chuckled weakly, "that's a rumour. And you should know better than to believe rumours."

As he wandered into the depths of the cave with Kreacher, he realized that for once in his life the rumours weren't true. And it comforted him more than the idea of being Pureblood ever had.


End file.
